Apparatus to facilitate laying of bricks

ABSTRACT

Apparatus to facilitate laying of bricks, comprising two or more identical brackets held in horizontally spaced aligned relation by attachment to a common platform or board. The assembly is supported in temporary position at a height convenient for the mason, by tangs one of which extends horizontally from each bracket and is embedded in mortar between the bricks of two superposed courses. Bricks to be laid are placed on this platform and used as required. When the wall has been erected by a few more courses the assembly is withdrawn, the tangs are rested on the bricks of the presently uppermost course, and the platform is again used as aforesaid.

Unite States merit irvin 11. Harris Route 2, Bumpass, Va. 230241 [72] Inventor Assistant Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Attorneys Elizabeth Newton Dew; Dew and Dew' ABSTRACT: Apparatus to facilitate laying of bricks, comprising two or more identical brackets held in horizontally spaced aligned relation by attachment to a common platform or board. The assembly is supported in temporary position at a height convenient for the mason, by tangs one of which extends horizontally from each bracket and is embedded in mortar between the bricks of two superposed courses. Bricks to be laid are placed on this platform and used as required. When the wall has been erected by a few more courses the assembly is withdrawn, the tangs are rested on the bricks of the presently uppermost course, and the platform is again used as aforesaid.

APPARATUS T FACILITATE LAYING 0F BRICKS This invention relates to an aid for use by masons in the laying of bricks for form a wall. In the usual prior art procedure, the bricks are deposited upon a scaffold platform on which the mason stands. As the wall is built up above this platform the mason must stoop to pick up each brick, raise it to the level of the course being laid, emplace it, then again bend over to pick up the next brick. When the elevation above the platform, of the course being laid is substantial, a great deal of effort is wasted in this continual bending and stooping. This is tiring and time consuming; and the more elevated the course being laid, the greater the total effort required to complete it.

It is therefore the chief object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and easily fabricated apparatus which id independent of the scaffold platform or other support on which the mason stands, and which is temporarily mounted and held by and between two superposed courses, to provide a platform at a level convenient to the mason, and on which bricks to be emplaced in the wall, are deposited and supported until used. Since the apparatus is readily detached from one position with respect to the wall and easily raised and positioned at a new and elevated location, every few courses laid, the bricks to be laid are always conveniently at hand. Little or no stooping or bending are required to pick up each brick as it is about to be emplaced, and a great amount of time is saved and tiring labor avoided.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear to those skilled in the art, after a study of the following detailed description, in connection with the accompanying drawing.

in the drawing:

FIG. I is a perspective view of one of the two or more identical brackets used in the complete assembly;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through a wall being laid, showing how each bracket is temporarily emplaced, held and supported until it is ready to be moved to a new and elevated locatron;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view taken in plane identified by line 3-3, FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a complete assembly including three ofthe brackets such as the one shown at FIGS. 1 and 2, as they are secured to and held in fixedly-spaced relation by a platform or board shown in dotted lines to avoid obscuration of the brackets.

Referring in detail to the drawing, in particular FIG. 1, each of the brackets generally identified at 1, comprises a length of 90 angle iron 2, which may conveniently be of I inch size and about 21 to 22 inches in length. The outward flange 3 is cut away along a line 4, leaving an upwardly extending strap-like extension which is then bent at 90 outwardly along a line 5, about 2 inches above out line 4. The horizontal or tang portion thus formed by the remaining length of the strap, and which may be about 4 inches long, is tapered essentially to a point 7, as clearly shown at FIGS. 1 and 4.

A short length of angle iron 8 which may be of the same I inch size as item 2 and about inches long, is cut with squared ends. One end of this is fitted with its top flange surface flush with out line 4 and is welded to vertical 2 along' lines such as those indicated at 9 and I0, FIG. I, to extend horizontally outwardly in a direction opposite to tang 6. A pair of holes ll, 12 are drilled at properly spaced locations through the horizontal flange of part 8.

Referring more especially to FIG. 4, a number of such brackets like the one shown upon FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, are rigidly but detachably connected in spaced relation by means of a platform or board 13. Connection is conveniently effected by flatheaded machine screws l4, 15, FIG. 2, each passing through a respective one of holes such as 11, 12, FIG. I, and aligned holes in the board.

The use of the apparatus will be cleat from the foregoing description and may be briefly resumed. The assembly as shown upon FIG. 4 is positioned with all tangs 6, 6a and 6b resting upon the bricks of the presently uppermost course, and the vertical portions of parts 2 depending in contact with the wall. Bricks to be laid are then placed upon board 13 and supported thereon until used. The next and succeeding courses are then laid using bricks which are deposited from time to time upon the platform 13.

When the wall has been erected to a few courses above tangs 6, 6a, etc., the entire assembly is freed by pulling the tangs from the mortar and elevating it until the tangs rest upon the presently uppermost course. The cavities left by extraction of the tangs are filled with mortar if necessary, and smoothed to obliterate them. The apparatus is now again used at the new elevation in the mannerjust described.

Since the apparatus can be thus readily moved upwardly each few courses laid, a great deal of time and effort on the part of the mason are saved because bricks are always readily at hand and stooping and bending over are unnecessary. A suitable length for board 13 is about 7 feet. It may be about 5 inches wide and thickness as required, say one-half to threequarters of an inch. As seen upon FIG. 2, the platform board is located so that its inner edge is spaced about an inch from the wall when the apparatus is properly emplaced. This leaves a space through which random particles of mortar may fall to the ground thus keeping the platform relatively free of detritus.

The foregoing description is to be taken in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense. Many variations are possible and will readily occur to those skilled in the art, after a perusal of the foregoing description. For example, the brackets like I may be produced in a production line procedure as by stamping or pressing. While the ones shown are of steel, they may likewise be fabricated from other metals such as aluminum or magnesium. Where bricks are being laid about a window or door frame, an assembly using only two ofthe brackets is conveniently used, with spacing between them sufficiently greater than the width of the frame. A number of boards like 13, of different and convenient lengths for various condition of use may be provided, each with pairs of holes matching the spacing between holes ll, 12, FIG. I, and spaced at regular and frequent intervals through and al ng the board. The invention is therefore of great utility and versatility since the brackets may be secured to the common platform at a larger number of locations and spacings, as may be desired or found convenient.

Having thus fully disclosed the invention, what I claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A unitary one-piece bracket for use in supporting bricks during laying thereof to form a wall, comprising, a vertical elongated rigid bar having a longitudinal axis and adapted to contact the wall being formed, a tang integral with extending horizontally in a first direction at from the top end of said vertical bar, said tang being essentially flat and lying in a horizontal plane normal to said axis, and a platform support bar having one end integral with said vertical bar a short distance below said tang, said platform support bar extending at 90 outwardly from said vertical bar in a second direction opposite to said first direction said tang having straight edges tapering in said horizontal plane from said vertical bar, said vertical bar comprising a length of 90 angle iron having one flange adapted to lie flat against the wall being formed, the upper portion only of its other flange being removed, from a transverse line between the ends of said vertical bar, at the level of said platform bar, to the upper end thereof, the remaining flange of said vertical bar extending upwardly from said level and forming a flat strap, the upper end portion of said strap being bent as 90 a short distance above said level, the remainder of said strap forming said tang.

2. The bracket of claim 1, said platform support bar being a length of 90 angle iron having its inner end integral with said vertical bar, with the upper surface of its one horizontal flange flush with said transverse line, at said level.

3. In combination with an elongated flat platform, a plurality of brackets as set forth in claim 2, and means rigidly securing the platform support bar of each said bracket to said platform, in spaced relation therealong.

4. The bracket of claim 2, said platform support bar having its other flange disposed in a vertical plane, the inner end surface of said bracket support bar lying flush against the outer surface of said one flange of said vertical bar, and its end portion lying in contact with and rigidly secured to the inner surface of said other flange of said vertical bar at said level, the edge formed by the removal ofa portion of said other flange of 

1. A unitary one-piece brAcket for use in supporting bricks during laying thereof to form a wall, comprising, a vertical elongated rigid bar having a longitudinal axis and adapted to contact the wall being formed, a tang integral with and extending horizontally in a first direction at 90* from the top end of said vertical bar, said tang being essentially flat and lying in a horizontal plane normal to said axis, and a platform support bar having one end integral with said vertical bar a short distance below said tang, said platform support bar extending at 90* outwardly from said vertical bar in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said tang having straight edges tapering in said horizontal plane from said vertical bar to a point at its extremity remote from said vertical bar, said vertical bar comprising a length of 90* angle iron having one flange adapted to lie flat against the wall being formed, the upper portion only of its other flange being removed, from a transverse line between the ends of said vertical bar, at the level of said platform bar, to the upper end thereof, the remaining flange of said vertical bar extending upwardly from said level and forming a flat strap, the upper end portion of said strap being bent at 90*, a short distance above said level, the remainder of said strap forming said tang.
 2. The bracket of claim 1, said platform support bar being a length of 90* angle iron having its inner end integral with said vertical bar, with the upper surface of its one horizontal flange flush with said transverse line, at said level.
 3. In combination with an elongated flat platform, a plurality of brackets as set forth in claim 2, and means rigidly securing the platform support bar of each said bracket to said platform, in spaced relation therealong.
 4. The bracket of claim 2, said platform support bar having its other flange disposed in a vertical plane, the inner end surface of said bracket support bar lying flush against the outer surface of said one flange of said vertical bar, and its end portion lying in contact with and rigidly secured to the inner surface of said other flange of said vertical bar at said level, the edge formed by the removal of a portion of said other flange of said vertical bar being essentially coplanar with the upper horizontal flange surface of said support bar.
 5. The bracket of claim 4, said bracket support bar being welded to said vertical bar along the line of contact of its horizontal flange with said one flange of said vertical bar, and its vertical flange being welded to the overlapping outer edge of said other flange of said vertical bar. 